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Friday, May 23, 2008

Biting the Hand with the Food

The ungrateful Negro is an enduring American icon.

It's that trifling coon who hates to work, but loves to eat and fuck on somebody else's dime. Oh, the Asians, and the Indians and even the Mexicans have all done stints with the Scarlet L (for lazy) on their chests, but it's been black folks who've never been able to shake that label. No matter how many toilets we clean, how much garbage we collect, the most prominent stereotype assigned to black folks is the one of stupid, savage and lazy brutes.

See, that stereotype, which is taken as fact by a substantial portion of this country, has certain folks peeved that Barack Obama is even under consideration for the job of President. Come on, if you thought their beef was with Rev. Wright, or Michelle's American pride or even with Obama's liberal viewpoint, you were only fooling yourselves. Nah, these folks don't trust a black dude to work hard and lead their country because they believe niggers are trifling.

Period.

It's that type of attitude that causes white folks to look for a way to attribute any success by a black person to somebody else. For evidence of this compulsion, check out this column in Time.

The column does its best to use racially sensitive terms and actually acknowledges that most of the attitudes that prevail among "Reagan Democrats" are not based in fact. However, it posits that even if these ideas are erroneous they must be respected and dealt with because the people with these ideas have power.

Now, that's troubling in some ways, but I'll avoid biting into that apple for now. Instead, I want to focus on how the article claims that Obama owes the Clintons some gratitude because the stances they took on controversial issues actually made it easier for Obama to be where he is now. The author claims that even if the Clintons are stepping on some toes with their behavior now, they deserve respect and credit for what they did in the past.

Man, crackers be cracking me up.

I'm sorry if my language offended any of y'all, but that was the way that sentence formed itself in my mind. That whole column just reeks of a certain level of arrogance that seems incredibly common among a certain group of folks. The idea that Obama, who was an underdog and put together a winning coalition despite the long odds and racist attacks of Clinton, owes the Hillbillies some gratitude is hilarious.

The entire premise turns on the idea that if Clinton hadn't sacrificed his principles to carve out a centrist position that appeases racists and their ilk then Obama would be shit out of luck. Basically, every position that Clinton took that appeared to be a big loogie in the face of black folks and other minorities actually was for our benefit, and Obama needs to be more grateful.

See, that idea is at the core of the arrogance displayed by Bill, Hillary and their supporters. Unfortunately, that arrogance can also be found in many random white people in this country.

Throughout history they've been encouraged to view black folks and other minorities as disadvantaged malcontents who may be getting the short end of the stick, but only because they deserve it. This worldview has provided justification for heinous behavior against Native Americans, Asians, Latinos and blacks.

Thousands of illegal lynchings? Well black people do commit crimes.

Internment of the Japanese and the seizure of their property? Well, can't be to careful with that yellow fever.

The blatant genocide of Native Americans including biochemical warfare? Well, if God didn't intend for white folks to rule America he wouldn't have let it happen.

The dominant worldview states that white folks and their emissaries are justified in almost every action they take because they're the ones who have done the hard work in lifting this country to its current position of prominence. It says that Obama needs to grateful to a man who basically called him an unworthy, affirmative action baby who needed to learn his place if he didn't want to be branded an uppity nigger.

At least that's how I see it.

There is no reasonable explanation for this arrogance, no way to make it right. It is asinine and not based on reality. The reality is that Obama owes nothing to the Clintons and even he previously did, their actions in this campaign and his own forbearance have paid that debt.

10 comments:

I can't even form words to respond to this foolishness. Barack owes them nothing. He better not put her on the ticket. Did you see today's New York Times (friday). Bill is saying with her wins and what not she has to be strongly considered. I say she does not deserve to be the VP. End of story.

Yes its completely crazy I owe someone for standing up for something that was and already mine equality. Wow!!

This attitude is the main reason I am an independent while I seriously doubt that I will ever vote for any GOP candidate no matter how progressive. I just can't vote with a party that is the home of all those who hate me.

At the same time I have a hard time being a memeber of a party that is home to many people who pity me and think I need a handout. Even thought the majority of that party understands I need acces to the rights my American forefathers gave them a long time ago.

It's sad. I read this article in NYT talking about the FL Jewish community and B-Rock. One man even admits he is partially racist and that is why he isn't voting for Obama. Interesting. Some of these Jews have never voted Republican and are thinking of McCain this election.

It made me crazy too when I stumbled across it. That's why I did a Google search of the author's name, it's Peter Beinart, and when I saw his picture I remembered him shilling for the Clintons on TV. So it all made sense then.

Glamazon

I saw that article in the Times, I thought about writing about it, but it's really just another example of another group of white folks acknowledging that they can only tolerate so much equality for the blacks. Too much equality makes them feel uncomfortable because then the blacks will think they are fully American.

Big Man, I love the way you point out that many Americans might be worried that Obama will be a lazy president...because that's so freaking ironic. If I'm recalling right, Dubya has taken more time off than any other president in recent memory. Most CEOs don't take the kind of time off that he has (which might explain why he was so lousy at running companies). The "Texas White House" my ass...if Georgie boy was doing much more on those trips to the ranch than slinging back beers with his advisors and poker buddies, I'd be well and truly surprised.

[T]he Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world,—a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity.